Paper Flowers
by ShoeQueen
Summary: Sam is getting unusual gifts from a secret admirer. Who could it be? Just a bit of fluffy J/S shippyness I wrote.


**Disclaimer: You know the drill. Not mine. Never will be. :(**

**A/N: Just a little bit of fluffiness I came up with while working on a longer story. Thought I'd crank it out and see what you thought. My other stories are all a bit angst-y, so I tried my hand at fluffy. There's still a wee bit of angst (it's hard not to put some in when it comes to J/S), but not much.**

**Please R&R **

**This has not been beta'd so all mistakes (and I'm sure there are plenty) are mine and mine alone.**

* * *

December 29, 1999

Major Samantha Carter walked into her lab at the SGC, excited to get to work on the object SG-9 had brought back from M4X-411. She was fairly certain it was some sort of power supply that had been used by the now long gone people, who had once inhabited the large moon, but wasn't exactly sure. She always loved getting something new to work on. It kept her always active mind from focusing on things she shouldn't, like the Colonel. The Colonel and his silvering hair, dark eyes and very well formed physique were strictly off limits. Strictly.

She tried several different tools to open the machine, but had no luck. Nothing she had fit. She thought it might have been nice of the Goa'uld and Ancients to have left a few spare tool kits around, so she wouldn't have to improvise all the time. Tossing down the latest tool that wouldn't work, she decided to try plugging it up to some sensor readers to see if she got any further with that. Walking toward a shelf full of her own homemade gadgets, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye sitting on her computer. She turned and walked over to her desk, curious.

Lying across the keyboard was a perfectly formed paper rose and a small gift card. Sam picked up the rose and looked carefully at it. The paper was something close to a tissue, but firmer. She wondered what it could be. It wasn't paper, vellum or even tissue paper. It took her several minutes to place it. It was made from a coffee filter! The detail was remarkable. Each petal was perfectly placed and curled slightly outward, just like a real rose, and had been tinted the palest of pinks, with the edges just a bit darker. Small leaves were attached just below the rose and the short stem was made from…she looked closer…a straightened out paperclip! Who on Earth would go through this much work? Still holding the flower, she picked up the card. Inside was a simple message written in a messy scrawl that she didn't recognize. It read: _Happy Birthday. Hope you like it._

Sam looked up at the calendar on her computer: December 29th. It was her birthday. She'd forgotten all about it. After her mom's death, holidays and birthdays were rarely celebrated and often went by with no more than a mumbled greeting and a card with some money in it. The flower made her smile and feel just a little special.

"You working too, huh?" Daniel's voice startled her.

Sam placed the flower on the desk and turned. "Yeah, you know how it is."

"Sure do." He agreed, walking over to the device on her table. "Any luck?"

She shook her head. "Not yet. I was just going to run a few scans on it though and maybe I'll know more."

"Sounds exciting," Colonel Jack O'Neill said. He was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed in front of his chest. He'd come to the door just after Daniel, but took a moment to appreciate his lovely second in command before making his presence known. She was so lovely it almost hurt him.

Sam jumped. "Sir, I thought you were in Minnesota." She self-consciously ran a hand through her hair. She's slept poorly and barely taken the time to run a brush through it when she got up that morning. She wasn't a vain woman, as it was hard to be vain when she spent much of her time covered in dirt or grease, but she tried to look at least decent most of the time. Have the Colonel see her looking like she'd just rolled out of bed wasn't exactly what she wanted. Part of her longed to have him see her in heels and a slinky dress, looking like a woman, instead of combat boots and baggy BDU's that made everyone, man and woman look pretty much alike.

He shrugged, walking over to her desk. "It was too cold to fish and the reception on the TV at the cabin is pretty bad. I'm thinking I need to get satellite put in if I want to watch the Simpsons. I figured I'd find at least one of you here to bug."

"Sam is working on her, um, thing here," Daniel said waving vaguely at the device, "and I'm getting a head start on some translations."

"Riveting," Jack said dryly. He looked down, then back up at Sam, questioningly. "Been bored, Carter?" He held up the rose.

She reached out and all but snatched it from his hand. "No. I, uh, it's a, uh…"

"Yes, Carter?" He drawled.

"A birthday gift," she said quietly.

"Birthday? I thought your birthday was in July."

"Ah, no, that would be me," Daniel told him. Turning to Sam he said "Gee, Sam, I'm sorry. I completely forgot."

Sam waved it off. "No big deal. Birthdays are not that important to me. To be honest, I completely forgot myself until I found this on my desk."

"It seems someone remembered," Jack said. "So, who was it? Siler? Walter? Lee? God, don't let it be Lee."

Sam handed him the small card. "I don't know. There's no signature."

Daniel let out a soft whistle. "A secret admirer."

"Well, that is something to be excited about," Jack commented, putting the card back on her desk. "Any thoughts on whom?"

Sam pursed her lips together. "Not a one, Sir."

"Well, what's say we go make some guesses over some cake? We might even be able to find a candle for you to blow out, Carter. You can make a wish. I'm not singing though."

"I'm in," Daniel said. "Especially if Jack's not singing. I've heard him sing and it is not pretty."

"Daniel, I'm hurt. I thought everyone in the locker room enjoyed my shower renditions of the popular songs."

"Jack, have you noticed how quickly the locker room clears out when you sing in the shower?"

Jack gave him a grin. "Yes, it's just awful having the place all to myself. So, Carter, you coming? Cake?"

Sam looked down at the flower she was holding. A secret admirer. What an interesting thought. She'd never had one of those before. She'd secretly admired Colonel O'Neill for a long time, but had never had anyone admire her that she knew of. "Okay, just give me a minute. I'll meet you there."

When the two men left, she rummaged through a cabinet and came out with a small glass vial with a flat bottom. It wasn't a vase, but was the perfect size for her rose. She carefully placed the rose in the vial, setting them both near her computer and placed the note in the top desk of her drawer, before heading off for her impromptu birthday cake. She smiled the entire afternoon.

* * *

June 29, 2000

Sam was exhausted. They'd just gotten back from PJ6-877, where they'd been captured by the bounty hunter, Aris Boch. She and the rest of SG-1 had had a very long, dirty and difficult time, but had eventually convinced him to let them go. She'd still had a tumble or two, not to mention being hit with that super-zat weapon he carried, and ached everywhere. The Colonel had gotten it far worse though, and had to spend more time in the infirmary than she had. That wasn't all that unusual though.

After showering, changing and going through the usual debrief, Sam headed to her lab to pick up a few files before heading home. Flipping on the lights, she noticed something on her desk. Sitting in the small glass container next to the rose she'd gotten for her birthday was another flower. This one was a deep blue, with high arched petals. An antique looking button sat in the center. It was very interesting. A small card sat in front of the container. She opened it and found the message in the same unfamiliar handwriting: _Happy Half Birthday_. Half birthday? She laughed at the thought and admired the unusual flower for a few more moments. It was amazing how something so simple could completely turn her day around.

Smiling, she placed the card in the drawer with the other one, grabbed her files and headed home.

* * *

December 29, 2004

Sam dashed into her office early that morning. She had told Pete she had a meeting, but in truth, she'd wanted to see if another flower showed up. Sitting on her desk, just as it had every December 29th and June 29th, sat another handmade flower. The container on her desk, which she'd replaced two years ago with and actual vase, now held 11 flowers of all shapes, colors and types. There were pink and yellow roses, blue and purple peonies, a purple lily, and a few others that she didn't think were modeled after actual flowers, but were lovely in their uniqueness. One of the most unique was a spiked flower that had musical notes printed all over it. How someone got music notes printed on coffee filters, she'd yet to figure out.

Reaching out, she picked up the latest edition. It was a deep pink lily that was positively perfect in every detail. In the very center sat a clear crystal that reflected a rainbow of colors under her desk lamp. She gasped when she noticed it. It was beautiful. Sam placed laid it down and picked up the card: _Happy Birthday, with love_. Sam, sighed, then read the card again. _With love. With love?_ She wondered if she should be worried. Getting these flowers made her feel special, and she found it a little exciting, but not knowing whom they came from, gave her pause after this last note. She was starting to think she should talk to the MP's to see if they had seen anyone near her office. When the second one had shown up, she checked the security footage, but found that the camera in her lab had been turned off for about 10 minutes in the early morning hours. No one else had been seen on camera before the flowers appeared, so she assumed whoever was leaving them turned the cameras off. Several people could have done it, but she didn't think any of them were her mysterious flower maker. One of those people of course had been Colonel, now General O'Neill, but Sam had a hard time picturing him painstakingly cutting and painting the little flowers. Sighing, she was about to place the lily with the other flowers when a sound at the door made her pause.

"Happy birthday, Sweetheart."

Sam spun around. "Pete? What are you doing here? How did you get in?" She placed the flower on her desk and stepped slightly in front of it.

Pete stood at the doorway smiling, holding a dozen red roses. "I called Daniel and he brought me down so I could surprise you. My MP escort is right outside."

"Well, I am surprised," she said.

"Let's hope I can still surprise you in fifty year."

Sam gave a strangled laugh. "Fifty years? Yeah, um, yeah."

Pete stepped into her lab and handed her the flowers. "For you, Birthday Girl." He leaned in to kiss her mouth, but missed when she turned her head slightly.

"Thank you. They're beautiful," she said. "I need to get something to put them in." She rummaged through her cabinets until she found a large jar. Filling it with water from a bottle, she placed the roses in it. She turned back to see Pete holding her lily. "Don't touch that!"

Startled, Pete dropped the lily back on her desk. "What's wrong?"

Sam put the vase of roses down by her computer and picked up the lily, examining it for any damage.

"Hey, what's wrong?" He asked again.

Shaking her head, she carefully laid the lily down. "Nothing. Sorry. I'm just-"

"Am I interrupting anything?" General O'Neill stood in the doorway of the lab with a smirk on his face.

"Sir!"

"Not at all, Jack. Just saying hello to my beautiful bride-to-be on her birthday," Pete said.

Jack looked from Pete to Sam. "I thought your birthday was in July."

Sam sighed and corrected him. "No, Sir. That's Daniel." It was clear he wasn't in fact the flower maker. He never remembered her birthday.

He pursed his lips for a moment. "Ah, yes, Daniel. Yours is around the holidays."

"Yes, Sir. Today, in fact."

"Well then, happy birthday, Carter."

Sam smiled. "Thank you, Sir."

"What are you doing here so early on your birthday?"

Sam fidgeted. "Um, the meeting, Sir? Remember? Our early meeting today?" She tried not to stress the words too much, and prayed he understood what she was saying.

Jack gave her a strange look. "Ah, the meeting, yes. That's actually why I came down here. We're getting ready to start and, uh, need you to join us."

Sam let out a breath. "Sorry, Sir. I'm ready to go."

Pete let out a whistle. "She must be pretty important if a general came down to get her, personally."

"Oh, she's important all right." Jack told him, though his eyes remained on Sam. "You have no idea."

Pete put is arm around Sam's waist. "Oh, I don't know, I think she's pretty important."

Sam pulled away. "Look, Pete, I've really got to get going. Thanks for the flowers. They're lovely." She ushered him out of the lab and motioned to the MP at the end of the hallway, telling him to escort Pete to the surface.

"I'll pick you up tonight for dinner. Wear something special," Pete said and kissed her. "I love you."

Sam's eyes flickered to General O'Neill for a brief moment. "Um, you too. See you later."

Pete nodded to Jack, who gazed at him coolly. "Shanahan. Always a pleasure."

They stood watching him and the escort head into the elevators. Jack looked at Sam with raised eyebrows. "An early meeting, Carter? I know I'm not always the best at remembering meetings, but Walter always keeps me informed. Since he didn't mention anything to me last night, I'm guessing there isn't actually a meeting?"

"Um, no, Sir. I just…um…" She could feel herself blush. "Thanks for covering for me, Sir."

"No problem, Carter. Anytime you need me." He held her eyes for a long moment before she looked away. "So, you think they have cake this early in the morning? Can't have a birthday without cake."

She laughed, the knot in her stomach loosening. "Even if they don't have cake, I skipped breakfast."

"And who says you can't have cake for breakfast?" He clapped his hands and rubbed them together briskly.

"We'll see, Sir. I just need to do something first." Walking back to her desk, she picked up the lily and placed it in the vase with the others. When she turned around, she noticed Jack watching her.

"What's the deal with those?" He nodded his head toward the vase.

Pressing he lips together, she considered what to tell him and decided to go for the full truth. When she was done, she waited. "And you don't have any idea who they're from?" He asked.

Sam shook her head. "Think I should be worried?"

"Do you feel uncomfortable?"

"No, not really. They're beautiful and it's so sweet. The latest card though was a bit different." She handed it to him.

After he read it, he gave her a hard look. "You don't recognize the handwriting?" She shook her head. "And how do you feel about this?"

She shrugged. "I don't really know. I guess I should be alarmed, but I'm really not."

He handed back the card. "Okay, but if it does make you uncomfortable, let me know."

She placed the card in the drawer with all the others. "Will do, Sir."

Jack stood. "Let's go hunt down that breakfast and you can tell me all about how it feels to get older."

"You don't already know, Sir?"

He pulled a yo-yo from his pocket and began twirling it up and down. "Not a thing, Carter."

Sam laughed as they walked to the commissary and instead of breakfast, ate the huge piece of cake Jack set in front of her.

* * *

June 29, 2005

Sam entered her lab and flipped on the light. She'd been tempted to come in earlier, but made herself stay home and finish packing. She paused when she looked on her desk, and her heart plummeted. For the first time in six years, there was no half birthday flower or note waiting for her. She felt the loss more than she would have expected. She'd left the vase as the very last thing in her lab, hoping she'd get to find one final flower before she left the SGC.

When she'd found out about General O'Neill moving to DC a month or so ago, she'd immediately requested a transfer to Area 51. She couldn't imagine working at the SGC without him. This was her final day of out-processing. Contrary to what people on TV and in the movies seemed to believe, in the military, you didn't just pack your stuff and move from one base to another. It was generally a several weeks long process full of tedious paperwork and running around. She'd dropped by her lab one last time, just to check for her flower and to not find it seemed to break open some sort of floodgate. She sat down on her familiar stool, placed her elbows on the table, buried her face in her hands and cried. She wasn't even sure why she was crying. With the loss of her father, breaking off her engagement to Pete, and having General O'Neill leave, Sam thought she had cried out every tear in her body. Apparently she hadn't.

"Hey, hey, Carter, what's wrong?"

Sam sat up straight when she heard Jack's voice behind her. She wiped her eyes with her sleeve and looked up at him. "Nothing, Sir. I'm just…I don't know." To her extreme horror, tears began to spill again and a sob tore from her throat.

Jack felt like his heart was breaking. He couldn't stand the thought of not seeing her every day. They'd been through so much together. "C'mere," he said quietly, pulling her off the stool and into his arms. Her head tucked perfectly under his chin, and he breathed in the smell of her hair as he brushed it with his fingers and mumbled soothing words. "It's going to be okay, Carter."

Sam nodded against him. "I know, Sir. I know. I feel so stupid; I just thought when I came in here today that-" She stopped. She couldn't tell him she was crying over the lack of a silly paper flower. He'd probably send her down to the psychiatrist immediately.

Pushing her away gently, Jack placed a finger under her chin and pulled her blue eyes up to his. "C'mon, Carter, tell me what caused this. I know you well enough to know you're not crying about leaving the SGC. You'll always be able to come back if you want and I'm certain you'll be needed here on occasion, so tell me what's really wrong."

"You'll think I'm insane," she said.

He tilted his head and arched his eyebrows. "Who am I to judge the sanity of the smartest woman I know?" He reached out to wipe a tear from her cheek with his thumb. It was an intimate gesture.

Sucking in a breath at his touch, she closed her eyes before speaking. "I didn't get a flower."

"A flower?"

"Yes, Sir. You know those paper flowers I've been getting for years?" When he nodded, she continued. "Well, I always get one on my birthday and then another on June 29th, which is apparently my half birthday, and today is June 29th." She stepped away and turned her back to him, afraid to see the look on his face.

"And no flower?" He guessed.

"No. It's insane, I know, but they've just meant something to me. Like I've been important to someone, even if I don't know whom. They made me feel special." She glanced at the flowers in the vase. "Are you going to send me to psych now?"

Jack chuckled behind her. "Of course not. Tell me, how many have you gotten?"

Sam counted them, even though she knew the number was eleven and in what order they'd come. "Eleven."

"Eleven," he repeated. "One shy of a dozen."

"Yes, Sir."

There was a long pause before he spoke again. "Well, it would be a shame for you to only have eleven, wouldn't it?"

"Sir?" Sam turned to face him and her eyes rounded. Jack was standing there holding the most perfect red rose she'd ever seen, and it was made from coffee filter. "You?"

He smiled, taking a step closer to her. "Me."

"But, but you never remembered my birthday was in December."

"It's all that training, I had Carter. I'm great at fooling people." He pressed the stem of the flower into her hand.

Sam looked down at the rose. Each petal was curled outwardly in extreme detail and in its center sat a large crystal. She looked up at him. "You?" She asked again.

"Me," he confirmed.

Sam felt a tear slide down her cheek. "I…I wanted it to be you so badly, but…"

"But you didn't think a crusty old airman like me had it in him?" He brushed the back of his fingers across her tear stained face.

"I don't know, Sir, I just didn't think you felt… that way about me. I mean, at one time I thought so, but then you seemed to pull away and you didn't have a problem with me getting engaged to another man, so I figured I'd been wrong all this time."

He shook his head slowly. "Ah, Carter. I know I've cocked it up pretty badly, but believe me, I've had feelings for you for almost as long as I've known you. I started leaving the flowers, because I couldn't tell you how I felt. It nearly broke me when you got engaged to Shanahan. I wanted to howl and the moon, but you seemed happy and I couldn't give you that, so I tried to let you go. I never really did though. You were, _are_, the perfect woman in my eyes."

Sam sniffed a little, more tears threatening to spill over. Jack wasn't one to talk about his feelings, so she knew this was a huge event for him. She gave him a watery smile. "So now what, Sir? Where do we go from here? You're still my boss." The military was still between them. It always had been.

Jack looked at his watch: 9:08. "Actually, I'm not. As of 8 minutes ago, I am no longer in command of the SGC, and since you have not yet signed in to Area 51 and I haven't signed in to Homeworld Security, we are not in the same chain of command."

Sam's heart sped up. They weren't in the same chain of command! That meant…no, logic took over. "But once we both sign in to our new duty stations, we'll be in the same chain again."

"True," he agreed, "but not the same _direct_ chain of command. Big difference there, Carter, big difference. Besides, I believe we're both taking a few weeks of leave before signing in and who knows what will happen during that time? Things between us could change significantly."

Her heart was now pounding in her ears. "Significantly?"

"Significantly," he whispered, drawing her close. "Very significantly."

Sam tried to reply, but her always-active brain was completely blank. She watched him as his head dipped towards hers and finally closed her eyes when she felt his lips descend on hers. Letting out a soft moan, she melted into him. After all these years, they might have a chance. His arms tightened around her, one hand straying from the small of her back to cup the swell of her hip. His tongue pressed past her lips, sending ripples of heat through her body. She can't believe how she went without this kind of physical contact with him for eight years. Her arms wrapped around his neck. She needed him; needed him in her life forever. His mouth left hers to trail kisses along her jaw.

"Sam," he said. His voice was thick with want. "I've loved you for so long. Do you think you can give me a chance to set things right between us?"

Her fingers absentmindedly played with the silver hair on the back of his head. "There's nothing to set right," she told him. "We both made mistakes, but that's all behind us."

He looked at her with his trademark lopsided grin. "Moving forward then?"

"Moving forward." Sam noticed a wicked glint in his eyes. "What?" She asked.

He nodded over her shoulder. "I think moving backward at the moment would be best though." He bent down to kiss her again and began slowly walking her backward until she bumped up against the table. He reached down and lifted her so that she was sitting, making her head almost even with his.

Sam giggled slightly. This all seemed so insane. Not twenty minutes ago, she was weeping from loneliness and now she was kissing the only man she knew she'd ever really loved.

"Hey, no giggling," he teased. "You'll put me off my game. And at my age, I don't have a lot left."

"Oh, I'm certain you've got plenty of game, Sir…um, Jack."

"Yes, when I'm kissing you, you must call me Jack." He nibbled the side of her neck.

"Wait!" She said, causing him to pull back quickly. At his uncertain look, she realized what he must think. "The door," she said. "The door is open. Anyone can walk by and see us."

He walked over, shut the door and locked it in a blink of an eye. Sam thought he was back almost the instant he left her. He nestled in so that he stood between her legs. "Can't have the kids gossiping about the General and his Lieutenant Colonel, can we? Now, where was I?" He traced his finger down her neck. "Ah, yes, right about here, I think." His mouth took up its previous course.

"Jack," Sam said softly. Her world was spinning. She wrapped one arm around him, pulling him closer, while the other skimmed along his shoulder to the short silver hair on the back of his head. She couldn't count the number of times she'd imagined a moment just like this, but decided her imagination hadn't even come close to the reality that was Jack O'Neill. A warm hand glided under the back of her t-shirt, sending shivers down her spine.

A rapping came at the lab door, and they heard Daniel's voice. "Sam? Sam? Are you in there?"

"Ignore him," Jack mumbled against her skin.

The rapping came again. "Sam? Teal'c and I wanted to take you out to lunch. We thought we'd bring Jack along too if we can find him. Sam, open the door. I know you're there."

"Damn," Jack said, pulling away from her. "He's not going to go away is he?"

She pursed her lips together, trying not to smile. "Nope."

He huffed and stepped away. "Let him in," he said sullenly, moving to sit behind the table.

She gave him a curious look. "What are you doing?"

"I don't think you really want them to see the state I'm in. It's better if I'm sitting." He gave her a suggestive look.

Sam's eyes widened at his words and she tried very hard to suppress the laughter that was trying to escape. She unlocked and opened the door to find Daniel and Teal'c waiting.

"What took you so long? We planned to take you…" Daniel's words trailed off when he saw Jack. He looked back at Sam and noticed her mussed hair and swollen lips. "Um, but if you're busy, we can do lunch later. Or tomorrow if that's better."

"Oh, uh, no, it's fine. Lunch sounds great." Sam said a little too brightly, not looking anyone in the eye. "The General and I were just, uh…"

Jack came to her rescue when she faltered. "Discussing what we're going to do with our leave before heading off to our new assignments."

Daniel gave them a skeptical look. "Uh-huh," he said slowly.

Teal'c arched an eyebrow at Sam. "Colonel Carter, are you well? You seem a bit flushed."

Sam felt color flood to her cheeks. If she looked flushed before, she couldn't imagine what she looked like now. "No, Teal'c, I'm fine. It's just a bit warm in here, don't you think?"

Teal'c stepped into the lab. "I do not. The temperature seems quite cool." He looked over at Jack. "You seem flushed as well, O'Neill. I hope you are not both ill."

Jack stared hard at Teal'c. There was an amused glint in the big man's eyes. "I think we'll be just fine, T."

"I certainly hope so, O'Neill. I hope you will both be fine from now on."

Jack and Sam looked at each other. They both knew Teal'c words had more than one meaning. Sam blushed again, but Jack just gave him a big grin. "So, you guys said something about lunch?" Jack said. "Think there will be pie? Or maybe cake? Did you know today is Carter's half birthday?"

"Her what?" Daniel asked. He felt like he'd somehow stepped through the Quantum Mirror and into and alternate reality. Sam and Jack looked like two kids caught stealing cookies, but also looked incredibly happy. As long as the Goa'uld were still gone, he'd be fine staying in this reality.

"Nothing," Sam said. "It's silly."

"Ah, ah, ah," Jack finally stood, his 'state' no longer an issue. "We absolutely cannot let your half birthday go by without some sort of recognition now, can we?" He walked over to her, casually draped an arm around her waist and pulled her into his side.

Daniel broke into a huge grin. "It's about time!"

"Isn't it, though?" Jack kissed Sam's temple.

"Indeed," Teal'c said with a smile.

"Okay, kids, let's head out. Carter, we'll come back and get the rest of your stuff later." Teal'c and Daniel stepped into the hall. Jack moved to pull Sam out too, but she stopped him. "Something the matter?" He asked.

"No, I was just wondering about the handwriting on the cards. I know your handwriting."

Jack lifted his left hand and wiggled his fingers. Do you know how long I had to practice to learn to write with this hand? Took me less time to kill half a dozen Goa'uld."

She laughed at the thought, and then sobered slightly. "I just never got to say thank you. For the flowers, I mean. I can't believe you did that for me."

"Carter, I would do anything for you, don't you know that?" He brushed a lock of hair from her forehead. "Besides, I don't need a thank you. I just need you."

"Still, thank you. Thank you for being in my life," Sam told him. She put both hands on the sides of his face and pulled him to her. She kissed him deeply, hungrily, letting him know just how much she loved him.

They heard Daniel clear his throat and broke apart. "Can you two do that later? You know how Teal'c gets when he doesn't eat regularly."

"Yeah, yeah," Jack said, slightly breathless. Sam had caught him off guard. "Wow. If that's how you say thank you, I'll make you a flower every day for the rest of your life."

"The rest of my life?" She teased. "I like the sound of that."

He smiled and pulled her after Daniel and Teal'c. "Good, because that's how long you're going to be stuck with me. So, half birthday cake after lunch?"

"Absolutely," Sam said. Her smile was bright enough to light up the entire SGC. She wasn't sure how they were going to work everything out, but she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that they would, just as she knew that no matter how many years went by, she'd always treasure the handmade flowers that had finally brought them together.

* * *

**I hope you liked it. It was inspired by a gift my sweet hubby gave me for Valentine's Day a few years ago. He wanted to give me something special and unusual, so he spent weeks making a ton of flowers, including roses, lilies, tulips and a few of his own design, and hand painted them with water colors or tea dyed them. I was completely surprised and overwhelmed by the amount of work he put in them. I do have one spiky flower that has musical notes printed all over it, like the one I mentioned in the story above. He taped coffee filters to a piece of paper and ran them through the printer to get the music printed on the filters. Why did he choose coffee filters? He said it "just seemed like a neat idea." It was. :) The flowers sit in a small vase in my living room where I can see them every day.**

**Okay, now back to the long story I'm working on! **


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